Just a quick reminder that my final fundraiser is on this Thursday night, and I'd love it if you could come! I fly out to begin my voluntary work on Saturday, so it'll not only be a great night out but also the last time we can catch up- which is definitely enough reason to come along, yes? :-)

Tickets are on sale now, and need to be booked soon-ish (read: now!) so that I can confirm details for Public Liability insurance. Please help out by spreading the word to your Melbourne friends, blog readers, facebook friends, tweety followers, etc!

Don't forget to check out my new blog to see all the details of what it is that I'm doing and why, and to keep in touch with my adventures while I'm away. And if you can't make it along, pretty please donate via PayPal- every dollar makes a difference!

Hey, are you busy next Thursday night? What about the one after? Well, I am, but you'll never guess what I'm doing! Oh, ok, I'll tell you. But only coz I like you!

I'm changing the world! And you're invited!

Ok, that might be a tad dramatic, but it's pretty close. I, in fact, am running two fundraisers (including a craft class and a movie!)- and no, before you jump to that conclusion, they are not to support my ever-increasing fabric stash. They are to support a voluntary project I've been accepted for!

What voluntary project, you ask? Well... I've been accepted to undertake a placement with Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an organisation that works to help people escape from the atrocities in North Korea and rebuild their lives in free countries! I'm off to the USA in two weeks to spend 3 months working with them, and there are heaps of ways you can get involved.

Would you like the full story? Fair enough. It's all a bit of a surprise, isn't it?! Here's the story (and if you just want to come to the crafty fundraiser or the movie fundraiser, skip to the bottom of the post for all of the details, or just head here).

CHANGING THE WORLD!

I had always been vaguely aware that there were significant humanitarian issues in North Korea. On a cold day in 2009, however, that vague awareness was shattered when I was introduced to the harsh reality of what was actually happening in the country.

I was surfing the internet at the time, using StumbleUpon to find new & exciting websites. One of the topics that I regularly surf through is ‘Activism’, and that’s the channel that I was on when I came across an article about the crisis in North Korea. It detailed the atrocities that were occurring right under my nose, the lack of international response to the situation, and the desperation of the people involved.

As I explored the crisis further, plans that I had had for the day ahead disappeared. I read article after article, watched videos that brought me to tears, found stories from survivors, and was touched by tales of underground bloggers and journalists. I couldn’t put my computer down, and by the time the night came, I was convinced beyond a doubt that I somehow had to become involved in the solution to what I now knew was a massive problem.

Throughout my research, I kept coming across one organization that was making a noticeable difference to the people of North Korea: LiNK. I was inspired by the fact that unlike other organisations, LiNK didn’t simply fight from afar; they were on the ground, assisting people to escape from the country, supporting them to develop educational and workplace skills, and helping them to relocate and live lives full of freedom and choice. By the end of that fateful day, I was a monthly supporter of LiNK.

One day in April this year, on a morning like any other, I received my regular email update from LiNK. This time, the update was a little bit different to normal. Although there were still inspiring stories of change that had been created as a direct result of supporters, there was also a call to action: Become A LiNK Nomad.

North Korea is one of today’s least known yet most complicated crises; but where skeptics would argue that the future of North Korea is already written, a collective of passionate individuals – LiNK Nomads – are standing to say that the ink is not yet dry. They refuse to adhere to prescribed formulas and have instead chosen to bring this crisis out of the shadows to empower more North Korean refugees.

Don’t wait for others to be the change. Be on the frontlines, rewriting the history of North Korea. Are you ready to make this your story? Become a Nomad...

Above this description was a video, and it was a video that ended up changing my life:

Within a week, I had submitted my application. Within another, I had been accepted. In two weeks, I am off to the United States to change and save the lives of people I might never meet, but who I now know will experience a freedom that I take for granted on a daily basis.

This is where you come into it! You can join me on this incredible journey by coming along to one of my fundraisers:

LIGHT UP FOR LINK: A CRAFT CLASS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!Come along to this gorgeous craft class, where you'll receive beautiful handmade paper from Papers By Pepperberry and be taught how to create your very own Paper Lampshade.

As if crafting, creating, chatting and giggling isn't enough, you'll also receive a lampshade base and lampshade pattern to take home, as well as have all of the tools and materials provided. And did I mention that all of the funds raised support a great cause? What's not to love! So, grab your friends, family, kids and any randoms you find on the street and come along:

Click on the flyer to check out it in all of its glory,and save it to your computer so you can email it to all of your friends!

CAN WATCHING A MOVIE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WATCHING THIS ONE CAN!
Enjoy a night out watching one of the most powerful movies ever made, whilst also raising much-needed funds to help end the human rights abuses & humanitarian crisis in North Korea.

Based on a real-life story, Kim Tae-kyun’s Crossing tells the tale of a North Korean defector & his desperate fight to save his family. An uncompromising, touching & inspiring movie, its depiction of the harsh reality of life in North Korea will touch your heart & move your soul. Don't miss it!

Click on the flyer to check out it in all of its glory,
and save it to your computer so you can email it to all of your friends!

I hope to see you there! If you're not in Melbourne or can't make it but would still love to support my quest to change the lives of North Koreans, you can always help out in any of the following ways:

- Learn all about North Korea, and then learn even more about North Korea and what's being done to change the situation at the LiNK website

- If you can't come along but still want to make a difference, donate! Even $5 can make a difference, and most of us have that to spare. I'm accepting donations of all sizes for my Nomad Project via PayPal- simply click on the link below! (EFTPOS, Bank Cards, Credit Cards and PayPal Account payments are accepted)

- Speaking of donations, LiNK are always looking for one-off and longer-term supporters to help more people escape from North Korea and start new lives elsewhere.

- Become a follower of thatLiNKproject to stay up-to-date with what's happening
- Spread the word! Let your friends and family know about how much the North Korean situation has shocked you, point them to the LiNK website, or grab them by the wrist and bring them along to one of the fundraisers!

AND A GIVEAWAY!

And now for the giveaway!

The more people who know about the situation in North Korea, the better. And the more people who come and craft or watch the movie at the fundraisers, the more fun we'll have! So, I need your help: your help to spread the word. And what better way of saying thank you for helping than by entering you in a giveaway?

What you'll win is the entire range of the soon-to-be-released Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns:

To enter, simply blog, facebook or tweet about my crafty fundraiser (or my movie fundraiser, or both!) and leave a comment with the link. You'll receive one entry for each!

Thanks in advance for your support. I'm off now to panic about how much I need to get ready in the next two weeks!

That is the main word that keeps escaping from my mouth now that the mind-bogglingly brilliant and phenomenally fantastic Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show has finished. As usual, the Show was five chock-a-block days of crafty and creative goodness, with inspiration galore and enough fabric, fibre and paper goodies to make even the most stoic crafter go giddy at the knees!

It all began on Tuesday morning, when the great challenge of setting up began. I, of course, was still running around Melbourne like a mad chook, organising patterns to be printed, buying furniture for the stall, and folding and ironing fabric.

Even though the venue opened at 7am for set-up, Sharon and I didn't arrive until 7pm... not that that stopped us from creating an exciting and extravagant Pepperberry & Co. stall, complete with a built-in-a-panic Ikea shelving unit!

As a small, indie crafter, I was lucky enough to have a stall in the beautiful Incubator section with a group of uber-talented, ridiculously fun crafters. Below are pictures of their amazing work- can you imagine being surrounded by this kind of brilliance every day and not buying every thing? Sheesh, talk about high expectations!

Apart from running the shop (which the wonderful Sharon was in charge of!), and shopping up a storm (which I was in charge of!), I also taught sewing classes, where I met some gorgeous crafters from all across Australia (and even the world!); gave Small Business talks to a group of inspiring and inspired up-and-comers; and even squeezed in taking some classes, which resulted in the world's cutest sock owl and a Japanese patchwork purse!

To say that I'm exhausted would be an understatement, however the smile that is still on my face from the Show means it was all very well worth it. Thank you so much to Angela, Ross, Graham and the team for putting on such an extraordinary event! Here's to many more.

UPDATE: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL INTEREST IN TESTING MY PATTERNS. I NOW HAVE A FABULOUS TEAM OF PEPPERBERRY & CO. PATTERN TESTERS AND AM THEREFORE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY FURTHER EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST.

Yep, it's true- Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns are about to graduate from my Lab and into the real world! Before they can be launched at the Stitches & Craft Show, however, they need to pass one last test- the Crafty Community Challenge.

What I'm looking for is sewers of all levels who would like to come on board as Official Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Pattern Testers. What you'll receive for participating is:

- A free copy of the final ePattern of the project you have completed; and

- Your choice of one of any of the other Pepperberry & Co. Sewing Patterns, as a little thank you.

As a Pepperberry Pattern Tester, you'll need to be able to do the following over the next 3 days:

- Get the materials you'll need for your pattern (they're small projects, so you probably have most of what you'll need in your scrap pile!)

- Sew the project, following each of the instructions in the pattern (each project takes no more than an hour); and

- Complete a brief survey about the pattern.

Pepperberry Pattern Testers can be anyone, from anywhere in the world, who has any level of sewing experience- including absolute beginners! The only thing you need is access to a sewing machine and the time to complete the project over the next 3 days.

To apply, please leave a comment or email me (littlemisspepperberry AT gmail DOT com) with responses to the following:

Name:

Email:

Sewing Level:

And perhaps a little note about why you are interested in becoming a Pepperberry Pattern Tester!

I can't wait to hear from you!

xx Sandra

---

UPDATE: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL INTEREST IN TESTING MY PATTERNS. I NOW HAVE A FABULOUS TEAM OF PEPPERBERRY & CO. PATTERN TESTERS AND AM THEREFORE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY FURTHER EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST.

As you all know, this little Pepperberry journey that I'm on all began because of a wonderful, inspiring and life-changing craft gathering: the Stitches & Craft Show. What you might not know is that I have now come full circle, and I will be at the Stitches & Craft Show again this year- but not as a visitor!

This year, I am so, so proud and excited and happy to let you know that I will be there as a stallholder, speaker and teacher. I will not only be selling my handmade goodies, but also teaching other people on how to kick butt on the sewing machine and make Notebook Covers, Baby Blankets, Textile Cards and Cushion Covers. And if that's not enough, I'll be running Small Business talks to share all of the crazy things that I have learnt on this Pepperberry & Co. journey. Squeal!

Here are the details of the Show, which is happening next week (excuse me while I go and hyperventilate...):

Now, if you've never been to a Stitches & Craft Show, you are seriously missing out. It is P*A*C*K*E*D full of crafty goodness- workshops, classes, freebies, competitions, hints, tips, networking opportunities, and so, so much more. I spent 4 days straight there last year and still didn't get to all of the crafty events I wanted to see and do! Don't dilly-dally now- grab your Show Guide here, book the classes you want to be a part of, and enjoy being immersed in craft heaven.

Now that I have convinced you of the wonder and joy of this Show, I would like to proudly present the classes I will be teaching at the 2010 Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show! To book into any of them (and pre-booking is advised!), just give me a call on 0401 766 348 or email me at littlemisspepperberry AT gmail DOT com.

WHEN PAPER MEETS FABRIC: TEXTILE CARD CREATIONS

Using handmade plant fibre paper and hand screenprinted fabrics, you will sew 4 unique, beautiful and personalised cards. Learn which threads and stitches work best with paper and receive a take-home kit so
you can keep on creating!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

A COZY CUSHION COVER
Sew a unique cushion cover using stunning, hand screen-printed fabric and natural unbleached linen. Learn how to work with interfacing, insert an invisible zip, create boxed corners and make your own cushion
inserts. A take-home sewing pattern is included!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

When: Fri 7th May @ 12.30pmLevel: Intermediate +Cost: $30

CUSTOM A5 NOTEBOOK COVER
Using beautiful, hand screen-printed fabric and natural unbleached linen, you will sew your very own notebook cover. Learn effective cutting/pinning techniques and how to use ironing templates, creative stitches and a walking foot. A take-home sewing pattern is included!

Photo by the gorgeous, scrumptious, uber-talented Cathie from the wonderful Melbourne Epicure

And, if you're wanting to stop working a job and start living your passion, come along to my small business talk:

LIVING YOUR CRAFTY DREAM: MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Ever dreamt of running away from the rat race and crafting for a living? I did just that and so can you! Come along to this talk to learn all about the ins and outs of running your craft business, including blogging, online marketplaces, bookkeeping, taxes, local craft markets, advertising, marketing, media and more!

Finally, of course, you can come say hi to Sharon and I by visiting our stall, where we will not only have hundreds of my handmade goodies, but also Sewing Patterns, Sewing Kits, Fabric and Paper so you can do it all yourself.

If you can't make it to Melbourne or the Show this year, fear not! All of the wonderful things will also be available at my Etsy shop, which I must say is looking rather sexy these days with all of its new Notebooks and Cushions!

See you at the Show!

xx Sandra

P.S. Sorry to have been away for a while- Sharon's Nana sadly passed away and we've been hiding away from the world just looking after ourselves and each other.

It may have come to my attention that I very rarely blog about all the wonderful little goodies I actually create.

Most of that comes down to the fact that I have the attention span of a flea, and I can never quite remember to take my camera to work, photograph the products, edit the photos, then pop them online. I'm exhausted just looking at that list!

Luckily, I'm surrounded by a group of wonderful crafters who actually do these things, and when they are at markets they do me the great favour of taking beautiful piccies of my things too!

After the rough trot of last weekend, I must say I'm quite looking forward to this one!

Friday night will see Pepperberry & Co. launching our sexy range (full of brand spankin' new Notebook Covers, Cushion Covers and even Luggage Tags!) at the brand new craft market at Borders in South Yarra- how exciting! Borders is one of my favourite places of all time- how could anyone not be just delighted to be surrounded by that many delicious books, gorgeous comfy couches, and the smell of roasting coffee? If this combination and a little bit of handmade goodness sounds like heaven to you, come and hang out with us at:

Then, a few hours of sleep later, I'm off to my favourite market- the Northside Maker's Market. This market is always filled with so many wonderful things- unique, handmade goodies, a warm-and-fuzzy community vibe, and great food. I don't know about you, but I sure couldn't ask for more!

If you've never been down to the market before, this is your last chance- it's the fourth in a series of four and it's unknown whether this magnificent crafter's haven will continue! So come and play at:

And let's just hope that neither of the markets experience last weekend's bad weather or bad luck!

PEPPERBERRY PLANET

My name is Sandra, and I am a passionate, excitable, craft-loving, food-obsessed, 100% nerdy vegan. Pepperberry & Co. is my space to share with you tantalising tutorials, inspiring ideas, provocative photos, luscious links and titillating tales about craft and life in the handmade lane. I love to receive your comments, and you can also feel free to email me at LittleMissPepperberry {at} gmail {dot} com!